Red's Wonderland
by 1destiny
Summary: Wonderland has been thrown into a confusion! The cause: Alice has gone missing! The hero who will save Alice and the Heart Kingdom is... Little Red Riding Hood?
1. prolouge

Prologue:

Five years previously.

Night hung like a curtain over the Hatter Mansion. The building was dark, save for the patio, where a tea party was under way. Five people sat at the table. A pretty young girl with blonde hair held back with a bow laughed good naturedly at the rabbit eared, red headed man sitting to her right. He had just taken a large bite of a carrot tart only to find that the twin boys sitting across from him had laced it with pepper. He sat there choking and coughing profanities at the black haired siblings, who seemed greatly amused by his suffering. At the head of the table sat a dark haired man in a top hat. He watched the proceedings with a look of mild interest on his face.

The sun arose to take its noon position and decidedly ended the party. The girl rose and dusted crumbs from her sky blue dress. The other four followed her example and stood as well. With a smile she approached the behatted man.

"I must be going now," she told him "I don't want Julius to worry about me so I had better get back to the Clock Tower soon."

The man pulled her in close and gave her a quick and gentle kiss.

"Thank you for your company, Alice." He said smoothly, "I assume you will be back soon."

"I will come if I have time, although I do want to barrow another book. I have nearly finished the one I took last time."

The man with the rabbit ears put a friendly hand on Alice's shoulder.

"Watch out Blood," He said to the hat wearing man with a smile full of humor, "Once Alice finishes all of your library books she might drop you and move on."

The man called Blood sighed and addressed the other man:

"Eliot, the only time your mouth is shut is when you're chewing. Work on that, will you?"

Eliot turned almost as red as his hair. The twins laughed poked fun at the poor hare.

"Oh~! Newbie hare got owned!" Jeered the one in a red outfit.

"I didn't think he could ever look even more stupid than he did before!" Sneered the one in blue.

Eliot went off on them, screaming insults and chasing after them in a fury and leaving Blood and Alice alone on the patio. Blood, who had been watching the spat, turned his attention back to Alice.

"My offer is still open. You are always welcome here." He spoke quietly as is afraid of being over heard. His dark eyes gazed deep into Alice's light blue ones as he waited for her to say something. He was not surprised to see her shake her head as she had done many times before.

"No thank you, Blood. I appreciate your offer but my home is at the Clock Tower. I like it there." She smiled then added with a laugh, "Besides, Everyone would accuse you of keeping the outsider to yourself. You might start more wars."

Blood nodded then showed her to the gate. They shared one last kiss before she headed off on the path that would return her to the Clock Tower Square. Blood watched her until she was out of sight, then he turned his back on the gate to return to his work. Being the Mob Boss was never easy.

….

A commotion presented its self at the mansion gate. The cause of the ruckus was soon revealed to be none other than the Knight of Hearts, Ace. Elliot had drawn a gun on the smiling mercenary and was shouting at him to 'Go the HELL AWAY'. Ace just grinned innocently at the frazzled rabbit but put his hand on his sword, ready to draw it in an instant. Blood approached the scene of mounting violence with a calm expression and a cold countenance. The two men turned their attention to him as he stopped in front of them.

"And what," He asked," is the meaning of this unfriendliness? Knight of Hearts, are you lost?"

Ace ran his fingers through his already messy brown hair and spoke in a cheery voice, as if he were addressing his best friend and not the leader of the Hatter Family Mafia.

"Well, I was lost for a while but not anymore. I was sent to get Alice. Can you get her for me?"

At this, Eliot looked confused.

"What are talking about?" He questioned. "Alice left at least twelve time changes ago. She isn't at the Clock Tower?"

Now it was Ace's turn to look confused.

"I don't think so. Julius wouldn't have sent me to get her if she was. Are you sure she isn't here?"

Blood remained blank on the outside but his mind was racing with the dialogue he had just heard. Had Alice gotten lost on her way back? No. Alice knew the way between the Tower and the Mansion like the back of her hand. Attacked? Maybe but she was smart and fast. What had happened to her?

"Oh well." Said the ever bright Ace as he turned to leave. "Maybe she went to visit the castle. I'll just go check. Later!"

And he left, totally unaware that the castle was in the opposite direction.

….

Searches went on for a very long time. Virtually all the residents of Wonderland had searched for Alice and had found nothing. Alice was nowhere to be found. Gone. Vanished. Disappeared from Wonderland without a trace. Leaving a gaping hole in the 'hearts' of the people who knew her.

**All characters belong to Quin Rose and all that disclaimer stuff. Fan fic of the manga/game Heart no Kuni no Alice.**


	2. Wolves and Wonderland

A Wolf and a Wonderland

NOTE: Things written in regular italics are the main characters thoughts. Things in bold italics are words of a different character.

A sunny Sunday morning pushed its way through the drapes of a small bedroom. The filtering light fell upon the face of a girl with fair skin and a nest of caramel hair. The girl groaned and pulled the white sheets over her head, attempting but failing at clinging to the swiftly departing dream that the sun had so rudely pulled her from. There had been talking rabbits and smiling cats and many other wonderful creatures that had filled a world made just for her. She sighed with disappointment as the last memories of the fantasy faded. Slowly she sat up in her bed and took in the room around her with bleary eyes.

It was sparsely decorated, with only a dresser and a table to add interest to the otherwise empty room. The girl (Who was around seventeen years of age) swung her feet around to touch the bare wooden floor. She stood up and yawned once before walking over to the dresser in the corner. It took her next to no time to dress; all the garments in the drawers were the same: White button-up blouses, Black knee length skirt with white lace, white socks that tied with black ribbon, and a single pair of brown loafers. She brushed through her tangled hair and wove it into two braids that fell just past her shoulders. Satisfied, she left the bedroom and walked through the small house using the small hallway until she reached the small kitchen.

She met no one else in the house. That didn't surprise her. She never met any other humans in the house because she lived alone. She had no mother no father, no brother or sister, not so much as a cat dwelt with her in her home. She had only one relative left and that was her frail grandmother who lived on the other side of the wood. She loved her grandmother dearly and always worried about her which is why every morning, just like this one, she would get up and prepare some treats to take to her beloved Obaa-chan. She finished the goodies (Which today were carrot cookies and strawberry tarts) and packed them carefully into a basket.

"Red," She said to herself, "you have outdone yourself. Obaa-chan is in for a real treat today!"

She smiled with that thought and turned to the front door. Just before she left, she reached for her most prized possession: A hooded cloak of smooth red fabric. She wore the cloak everywhere and was never seen without it. It was a gift from her grandmother on her tenth birthday and she had treasured it every day since. It was from this cloak that she had obtained her nickname: Little Red. Red put on her trade mark and left her lonely house.

Her house was in the middle of the wandering wood so no one saw her leave… except, for a pair of yellow eyes in the trees that followed her hungrily. The owner of the eyes gave a lustful growl at it watched the innocent girl walking away. Silently, it began to tail her.

Red was unaware that there was something following her. She hummed in a carefree manner as she took the path she knew so well. She paused once in a while to pick flowers and talk with the squirrels, but she would always continue on after only a short time. She had somewhere to be and nothing would delay her for long. Nothing, that was, except for the thing that lay waiting for her in the darkest part of the wood.

The trees foliage grew closely together to the point that they almost completely blocked out the sunlight. It became hard to see and Red had to stop to try to see the path.

"Bother! I always hate this part. It is so easy to become lost here and- Oh my!"

Red had spotted two glowing yellow dots in the path in front of her. The dots slowly got closer and closer. A deep, rumbling voice came from the spot where the dots were positioned.

"Child," it growled, "Why are you walking here all alone? This place is dangerous for such a sweet young girl to be."

Red backed away hesitantly. "I was going to my dear grandmother's house. I am delivering food to her. She lives just on the other side of the woods."

"Then allow me to accompany you my dear." The owner of the voice stepped into a shaft of light and revealed its form to Red. "I would feel better knowing a child like you was safe." A wolf stood before her with yellow eyes.

Red was reluctant. She had heard stories about girls being eaten by wolves in dark forests like this one. But Red was also curious. She had never heard of a talking wolf, and this one seemed to be quite the gentle man. Red made up her mind.

"Yes. I would love some company. "She gave the wolf a trusting smile. The wolf smiled back at her, showing huge pointed teeth that were yellow like his eyes.

And the odd couple started down the path. Red talked to the wolf like he was an old friend. She talked about her week, the treats in her basket, and how rude squirrels could be. The wolf stopped suddenly and looked at Red with a toothy smile.

"My dear, I know a short cut that will cut our traveling time in half. Would you like me to show you?"

Red's eyes lit up. "Oh yes, Very much Mr. Wolf. I would be ever so grateful."

The wolf gave a small chuckle at her blind trust. This was far too easy. He turned and headed off the path, calling for Red to follow him. She trailed behind without a second thought.

…..

"Umm… Mr. Wolf? Are you sure this is a short cut. It feels like we have been walking for hours."

They had been walking for exactly three hours and twenty minutes and should have reached her grandmothers by then. Red was getting a bit worried.

"I-I'm going back. It's going to get dark soon and I need to arrive before then. Thank you Mr. Wolf but I must be going"

As Red turned to head back she heard a threatening laugh. She glanced back worriedly and found the wolf only feet away and advancing, poised to attack.

"Foolish girl," said the mass of fur and muscle, "you trust far too easily. This forest shall be your final destination!" And the wolf lunged!

Red dodged the wolf narrowly and with a scream she ran for her life. She sped past trees and bushes, taking no time to look where she was going. The wolf was not far behind and it was all Red could do to keep the distance. She crashed through the underbrush, paying no mind to the scratching of twigs on her legs. Tears came to her eyes, blurring her vision and her thoughts whirled in her head.

_NO! I-I don't want to die… not now! I wish I could just fall into that wonderful dream! I just want to escape!_

A voice that didn't belong to her echoed in her head. Normally this would have scared her but she had no time to think about it while running from the ever nearing wolf.

_**Are you sure? You must be careful what you wish for dear.**_

_YES! Help!_

Suddenly, Red's left leg hit a rock and she fell. The basket of goodies she had held onto spilled its contents everywhere. Red gasped in pain and fear. She had cut her leg on the rock and the wound was bleeding profusely. Red tried to stand but found her leg wouldn't support her. She knew she was a goner. The wolf approached her victoriously. The running had worked up his appetite and her blood smelled delicious! He chuckled and prepared to make the final strike.

"Game over, child"

_NO!_

As the wolf lunged, Red pushed herself backwards with her good leg and felt the ground drop out beneath her as she tumbled into a rabbit hole under some tree roots. The wolf, who was determined not to lose his snack, locked his jaws onto the receding red cloak. The old cloth tore away and the wolf was left with nothing but a mouthful of red fabric. With an enraged howl the wolf dove into the hole after the girl.

Red knew she was going to die. Either she would snap her neck when she hit the bottom or the wolf would get her.

_**Oh not yet dear. You have a role to play in this world. Sweet dreams.**_

Red blacked out. The wolf did as well. Both tumbled together into a new world.

…..

Two men were standing on the ramparts or a huge clock tower. The one with long dark hair and pale skin sighed loudly. He had to get back to work. But the man next to him, who had short messy brown hair and was dressed in red and black, had insisted he take a break for his health.

"Honestly," said the first man to the second, "You know I don't have time for this Ace. There is too much to be done. I can't have you wasting any more of my time."

The second man, who was called Ace, Only smiled at the first man. "Oh come on Julius. You can't do your job if you end up killing yourself. Lighten up a bit."

Julius gave another exasperated sigh.

A blinding flash of light came without warning, stunning both men temporarily. When the light died and they could see again they looked toward where the light had come from. The sight that was presented to them stunned the men even more than the light did. There were two figures lying on their sides about ten feet away. One was obviously the form of a girl, the other was furry and large and appeared to be some kind of animal. The two men stared in utter disbelief.

One figure stirred. The wolf arose first. With a mixture of frustration and victory he approached the still unconscious form of Red. He opened his jaws and moved in for the kill. BANG! The wolf stumbled back in surprise as a bullet hit the bricks only centimeters away. The wolf turned his head to face the two figures he failed to notice before. The gun was still smoking in Julius's hands and Ace had drawn his sword. The wolf let out a menacing growl and stepped toward them.

"You shall pay for your interference humans. You can die along with her!"

The wolf charged at Julius but Ace stepped between them and blocked the beast's teeth with his blade. The wolf tried once more to attack Ace but, with a swift swing of the sword, Ace placed a good sized cut on the wolf's front right shoulder. The wolf saw that he was at a disadvantage and would be killed if he used force. He switched his tactics to cunning. The wolf feinted toward the unmoving form of the teenager behind him. Ace and Julius fell for its trick and made to protect the girl. The wolf switched direction nimbly and made a run for the door which had until recently been blocked by the two men. Ace and Julius turned just in time to see the tail of the fleeing wolf disappear down the stairs. The wolf continued down until it escaped into the open air and disappeared into the woods. There he would stay for a long time; eating small animals and plotting his revenge.

Ace was going to fallow the creature but Julius placed a hand on his shoulder.

"The wolf can wait. For now the girl is the top priority."

Ace paused, then he sheathed his sword and nodded with a smile.

"Your right. A foreigner is more exciting than some wolf with an attitude problem."

They approached the girl in the red cloak and looked her up and down.

"She's injured." Observed Ace, gesturing to her left leg, which was still seeping blood through her sock. Julius sighed yet again but for a different reason.

"Help me get her inside, Ace." Said Julius sounding tired. "I'm afraid things are going to become more complicated still.

**Thank you for reading! Please critique! I want to improve so that I can write better stories and so you can read better stories! I love getting feedback so don't be afraid to be brutal!**


	3. Game Start

Game Start!

Red awoke with a gasp and sat up in her bed. No. It wasn't her bed. Her bed was nowhere near this big. Confused, Red looked around her. She was in a room that was twice the size of her bedroom. The walls and floor were all made of stone and there was a large wardrobe next to an oval shaped mirror in a breathtaking gold frame. She was definitely not in her little make-shift bedroom in the woods. She sat up in the bed and winced as a pain shot through her left leg. She ripped the white sheet off her body and stared at the bandages that went from her ankle to her knee. Someone had bound her wound, but who? She struggled to remember how she had gotten there, looking for even the slightest hints, only to be presented with the memory of falling down a hole. The last thing she remembered was a voice I her head. It had said:

"_**You**_ _**have a role to play in this world. Sweet dreams.**_"

What had the voice meant? Her head began to throb painfully. She placed her hand on the back of her skull and felt a bump, and a rather large one at that.

_Maybe… I hit my head when I was running… But… I still don't know how I got here… Where am I?_

Red's head pounded harder and she gave up. She decided that sitting around like a rock wouldn't bring her answers so she made an attempt at standing up. She cried out quietly when she put weight on her injured leg. It hurt like white hot needles digging in her skin. She attempted to take a step forward. Yet again came the pain and she cried out again. She thought about sitting on the bed again but shook off the idea as soon as it presented its self. She would muscle through this! She began moving awkwardly around the room, giving off little gasps as she used the injured leg. After a few times going about the room in this manor, she was able to limp about without crying out. The movement was rather pathetic, yes, but it was movement all the same. She limped over to the mirror and took a look at herself. She didn't look her best; her face was covered in scratches and cuts and there was a nasty bruise under her left eye, but other than that she didn't look any different than she did every day: Braided pig tails, bright calf brown eyes, and red cloak wrapped around her shoulders. She looked down at her feet again. They were bare all but for the bandages on the left. Someone must have removed her shoes and socks. She looked around again. Ah, there they were, lying neatly at the foot of the bed. She looked back down and noticed her cloak for the first time. Her heart sank.

"Oh, my cloak! The hem's all torn up and the fabric is unraveling! Oh my cloak, my poor poor cloak." She said the lamentations aloud to the empty room. The room did not respond but Red felt slightly more energized. With one more regretful sigh, she limped for the door.

…..

Julius and Ace were in Julius's work room. They talked in hushed tones as Julius worked at fixing a clock and ace sat in a chair nearby.

"You checked on the girl?" Julius asked.

"Yep. Still sleeping soundly." Ace confirmed with his usual smile. "But what will we do when she wakes up? Will you send her home right away? Or perhaps you will explain the game to her."

"I don't know, Ace. If she wishes to leave then I won't stop her, but if she is curious then I might explain to her before sending her back."

"So you will send her home either way. Why?"

Julius gave Ace a stern look. "Because, you know how dangerous things have gotten. Wonderland is no longer a place where one can wander ignorantly. She wouldn't last a day out there."

Ace studied Julius. "But I know you miss her. Maybe you could do with some company again. And she could learn how to be safe. Come on give her a chance."

"NO!" Julius stood up and glared at Ace "This has nothing to do with you or me or anyone! I am not going to put an innocent girl's life in jeopardy just because I miss Alice! You can't just g-"

He trailed off, staring at the door at the other side of the room. Ace followed his gaze and saw a head of caramel colored hair poking shyly through the door frame. Ace put on a winning smile and addressed her warmly.

"Oh, you're finally awake! Glad to see you're okay. Don't just stand there, come in and have a seat." He got up and gestured to his chair.

Slowly, the girl entered the room, limping rather badly. She sat in the chair Ace had vacated and looked at the two men for a long time. There was an awkward silence.

"I… am sure you have many questions." Stated Julius, breaking the quiet. The girl nodded and opened her mouth. The men were suddenly bombarded with words.

"Where am I? What is this place? Is that a sword? Who are you two? Did you fix my leg? Why are there so any clocks? What happened to the wolf? Am I dead? Is this a dream? Am- MFFF!..."

Ace placed a hand over her mouth to stem the flood of questions, muffling her words.

"WOAH," he said with the air of calming a small hyperactive child, "Easy there. We will answer all your questions, won't we Julius?"

Julius nodded and looked at the figure across from him, still with Aces hand clamped firmly around her lips. "Yes. We will. Just give me a moment to gather my thoughts…"

Julius was quiet for a moment, sitting with his eyes closed. Then he opened his eyes and began the answer session.

"First, you most likely fell down a large hole correct? Well that hole provided you with a portal from that world to our world. You have fallen into wonderland. Here in Wonderland you are viewed as an outsider or 'Foreigner' as we say. Wonderland has four main providences, all of which are currently at war with each other save for one. This one we are currently in is the Clock Tower. The tower and its surrounding area is the only neutral ground. The other three are locked in bloody combat. The three other lands are as follows: the Castle of hearts, the hatter mansion, and the amusement park. Do you understand so far?"

The girl was still gagged by Ace's palm so she just nodded and Julius continued.

"Each area has a master. The master of the castle is the Queen of Hearts, Vivaldi. The Hatter Mansion is run by a man by the name of Blood Duprè. He is the leader of the Hatter Family Mafia, who live in said mansion. Next is the Amusement park owner. Gowland is his name. Not much to say about him. Lastly is the Clock tower, which I am master of. My name is Julius Monrey. "

"And I'm Ace, the Knight of Hearts!" Ace cut in brightly. Julius cleared his throat and continued.

"Each area's leader is what we call a 'Role Holder'. They are important pieces in a game, and are highly respected. All role holders have faces so they are easy to recognize. They are also extremely dangerous. They don't see things the way you do and would use you if you are not careful. This world is also full of various dangerous creatures, and evil beings. It is not safe here for you. I am guessing you want to return home."

The girl was silent. The two men waited for her to reply. Then Ace remembered something. He laughed apologetically and removed his hand from her face.

"…Is all this… real? I'm not dreaming am I?"

"You can look at the situation however you wish." Said Julius gruffly.

She sat there a moment wondering if she was asleep. The voice came without warning. The one she had heard in the forest while she was running.

_**Yes. This is all just a dream. But it is a good dream. Why not play a while you are here? Just forget all your worries… Come, let's play a game…**_

__"I- I want…" She stumbled over the words as if they were a foreign language. "I want to see this world. I want to… play a game…"

"Are you sure? I can send you home. You can go back to your family." Julius looked at her long and hard.

"Family? Fam… Fama… Obaa…" She looked dazed for a while then she winced as her head gave a throb.

_**Forget. Forget all that for now. Join the game and FORGET.**_

__She looked dizzy and almost fell off her chair.

"Ah! Careful." Ace caught her shoulder and steadied her. "Are you sleepy?"

She shook her head, half to answer Ace and half to try to clear her foggy mind. She took a deep breath and looked straight at Julius. She had made up her mind.

"I would like to… to join this world. I can't explain it, but it feels like… like I'm meant to be here. I want to stay."

Julius closed his eyes for a second… two seconds… three seconds, then he opened them. Slowly, he opened a drawer in his desk.

"Very well," He spoke as he rummaged through the drawer, "You may stay here if you wish, miss…"

"Oh, my name is Mellanoee, but people call me Red." She smiled sweetly as she introduced herself. Ace gave her a look of amused confusion.

"Why do they call you Red? It has nothing to do with your real name does it?"

"No, I'm Red because of my red cloak." Red held up a corner of the crimson fabric for Ace to see. "I got it for my tenth birthday and I never go anywhere without it. So it became my trademark and people call me Red. See?" Ace nodded his understanding.

"Found it." Julius closed the drawer with a snap and held up a crystal vial with a heart shaped stopper. There was some kind of liquid inside. He pushed it across the table to Red. "This is your last chance to change your mind. Once you drink the potion you cannot leave until you have finished the game; in other words until you have refilled the vial. As your relationships with the world's inhabitants grow and develop liquid will begin to accumulate in the vial. Once the vial is full, the game is over and you get to go home. Understand?"

Red nodded and picked up the vial. It was heavier than it looked. Red pulled the stopper and prepared herself, and then she threw her head back and drained the vial. Julius looked grim. Ace watched with a smile. Red gagged and coughed. The liquid tasted foul. It was sour and salty and felt hot on her throat. With watering eyes, she replaced the stopper and looked up once again at Julius. Julius said nothing. He just shook his head.

…..

Three days passed. For that time, Red stayed in the Clock Tower as her injured leg healed completely. She limped around like a curious child, gazing at everything with a look of awe. On the third day she could walk on her leg with no pain and no limp. With a satisfied smile she walked to Julius's workshop.

"Umm… Mr. Julius, I would like to go outside. Can I go?"

Julius grunted without taking his eyes off his work, "You are not my prisoner. You may come and go as you please."

Red stood there a moment, then she turned and made her way to the exit. She didn't hear Julius add in a whisper: "Please be careful and don't get lost."

Red emerged into the open air of the Clock Tower square. It seemed to be morning but Red was no longer sure about time. She had been shocked and confused when the noon day blue sky gave way for blackest midnight so rapidly. Julius had explained that the time of day moved randomly and no one ever knew what would come next. The concept had disturbed Red at first however she had quickly become accustomed to it. The light breeze that caressed her skin felt lovely after three days of being inside. She closed her eyes and began to walk, enjoying the day. Lazily she wondered what she was going to do. She turned her face to the sky and opened her eyes. The Amusement park sounded fun. Red had never been to an amusement park before, but she had heard people talking about it. The lady who lived next door to her grandmother had told her all about the colorful rides and the delicious food. Grandma… Obaa-chan?... Once again, Red was overcome by a dizzy feeling. Her mind went completely blank. The feeling left as quickly as it had come. Red blinked.

_What was I thinking about again? Oh yeah! I was going to the Amusement Park! I think it was that way._

Red headed east feeling carefree. She remembered what Julius had said about all the areas being at war with each other but come on, a fun park at war? That was ridiculous. Red put the thought from her mind and walked on. She was going to have fun and nothing was going to prevent that. Or so she thought.

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Red's mouth hung open shamelessly. In front of her was a large gate, ornately decorated and painted in bright colors. She could see the large metal structures and hear the roar of a roller coaster. The park excited all five senses. But that was not what had Red struck with awe. What had amazed her so was the amount of people all filing into the gate. Red had never seen so many people in one place. She felt slightly overwhelmed.

"Why, there are so many that their faces seem to blur together. It almost seems they have no faces at all."

Red pondered this thought for a moment. She failed to notice someone appear behind her until a tap at her shoulder made her jump and spin around to see who had touched her. To her surprise, there was no one there. She looked around but saw no one even remotely close to her. Then a voice in her ear and breath on her neck made her squeal in fright.

"Is this little chickadee lost? With your mouth hanging like that I bet you're a better bird catcher than me."

Red spun around again and came nose-to-nose with a boy who couldn't be much older than she was. She took a step back and self consciously closed her mouth. She studied the boy. He had pink eyes that matched his pink hair perfectly. There were two cats ears sticking out from the top of his head and he had a tail to match. His clothes were punk or goth or something similar. A black collar around his neck with a chain hanging off the side (Red thought that that couldn't possibly be comfortable) and a black shirt with zippers and stitches everywhere that showed off his abdomen. His pants were a similar style to his shirt and he wore a large piece of pink and purple striped… fabric?

"If you keep looking at me like that I'm going to blush." Said the cat boy in a playfully seductive way.

Red felt her face get hot. "Umm, sorry…" She looked away, feeling embarrassed and confused, but she couldn't figure out why.

"So," said the boy who was all of the sudden in the tree right above Red, "are you a new Role-Holder or something? What part do you play? Whose domain are you from?"

Red was stunned. She couldn't seem to find her words. All she could manage was "I-I'm not…"

"Oh? You aren't a Role-Holder? Then you must be…" He broke off and vanished from the tree. Red was once again startled by his sudden appearance behind her, and even more so when he SNIFFED her!

"I'm right! You are an outsider!" He smirked and his eyes lit up with excitement.

"How could you tell?" Asked Red.

"You smell just like _her_. Outsiders always smell weird." Red's face felt hot again.

"Y-yes, I'm an outsider. I fell down this hole and…" Cat boy cut her off.

"Oh boy. Things are going to get fun again. What brings you to this side of the woods Miss Foreigner?"

Red was getting rather frustrated now. Who was this guy any way? "I came to see the Amusement Park. And my name is Red."

The boy's tail twitched as a smile spread from ear to ear. "But Red, just seeing is no fun. Why not go inside? Playing is way more fun than seeing. Come and play with me. I can get you in for free if you do."

Red was silent. She had no money for admission. She had realized that on the way there and it had put quite a damper on her mood. Now this odd neko boy was offering to get her in for free. She didn't know what to think of him.

"Do you mean it? Really? I could see the inside?"

"Of course. And not just see the inside either. I will give you a privet tour of the park and then we can ride all the rides. I promise, no strings attached. What you say, Red?"

Red looked into his eyes but saw no deception. All the frustration and anger at him she had felt vanished and was replaced by a feeling of gratitude and excitement.

"I would love it! Thank you so much!"

The boys smile widened to a comic level. "No prob'. I live here so I got some privileges. Fallow me." And he started off then said as an afterthought, "Oh, and the name's Boris."

"Nice to meet you." Said Red as she tailed Boris.

Red was surprised when Boris turned away from the front gate and headed off along the east wall, but she followed him without question. They walked in silence for a few feet before Boris turned around and began walking backwards so he could face Red.

"Hey, why did you look so dumbfounded before? You were just standing there like a dead fish. How come?"

"There were so many people there. I had never seen a crowd so large before."

"Big? Today is one of our slowest days in a long time. You must not get out much."

"Well you don't find many people living where I do." Said Red slightly defensively.

"Where do you live?"

"In the forest clearing. I don't have any neighbors, but the squirrels talk about some interesting things," then she remembered that talking to squirrels was not something a normal person would do, "Uh.. Never mind."

Boris made a face. "Bleh! Squirrels are such annoying gossips. I don't see why you would want to talk to them."

Red blinked and felt the confusion that was fast becoming common place here. Boris didn't seem to think her weird for talking to the forest creatures.

"Is it… normal to talk to animals here?"

Now it was Boris's turn to be confused. "Animals? Most squirrels are humanoids just like you or me."

Red's turn again. She was about to ask what he meant, but she changed her mind, deciding that she was perfectly happy being ignorant at the moment.

Boris stopped and opened a back door, motioning for Red to fallow before disappearing inside. Red opened the door and walked inside, finding herself in a storage room. To her relief, Boris was standing perfectly visible in front of her. Together they navigated through the boxes and crates and came to the front door of the room. Boris grinned and turned the door knob.

"Welcome to the happiest place in wonderland!" He said as he opened the door.

The smell of sweets and vomit met her nose. There was laughter and screams, shouts of elation and shrieks of fear. The sounds of hundreds of people living their lives and having fun. Red felt like a huge balloon had been inflated inside her. She took a step outside and immediately stepped in a big sticky dirty pink wad of gum.

"Ugh! Gross." Red tried to scrape off the pink blotch now stuck stubbornly to the sole of her shoe. The gum refused to budge so Red simply gave up with a sigh.

Boris took her hand in his without warning, causing her to look up quickly. "Now, let the tour… BEGIN!" And he walked on, her hand clamped firmly between his fingers.

Boris showed her the Ferris wheel, the log flume, the house of mirrors, the bumper cars, and the merry-go-round. Throughout the whole tour Red was smiling and gasping in awe. She shuddered as she looked at the roller coaster and decided it was simply too high to be safe. Boris saw her staring at the steel rails and misinterpreted the look on her face.

"Well if you want to ride it so badly then come on!"

Ignoring her protests, he pulled her onto the ride and took a seat next to her in the front car. Poor Red was terrified and just about to jump out of the seat and back to the safety of the loading platform, when the bar was lowered and the harnesses locked down. She was trapped on the ride.

"Welcome to the Drop O' Death." Said the man at the microphone. "Please remember to keep your hands, feet, and tails inside your car at all times. Please do not spit off the side of the ride as people find being spit upon rather unpleasant. Please remain seated during the entire duration of the ride. Thank you and enjoy the terror." And with that the train lurched into motion.

,',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',

Red stared at the photograph in her hand. It showed her clinging to Boris for dear life on the final drop of the roller coaster. Boris had apologized to her for the misunderstanding but didn't sound very sincere about it. She wasn't upset about it anymore; in fact she had found that she had enjoyed the surging adrenaline and the fear. She couldn't quite place it but she had had fun. She didn't say that to Boris though.

"Alright Boris, I will forgive you if," She pointed to a food stand, "You will buy me some of that fluffy pink stuff. Please."

Boris smiled. "Fine, but you have to share."

They continued to walk along, Boris pointing out the sights and red nibbling at the cotton candy.

She didn't notice Boris stop and so she walked into him. Boris didn't move an inch, except for his tail and ears which were twitching in an agitated way.

"Boris?" Asked Red, moving so that she could see his face. He didn't respond. He just stared at something with a look of disgust. Red fallowed his gaze and saw a person with the ears of a mouse staring at a food vender selling fried mozzarella sticks. Boris's muscles tensed. Again, Red asked, "Boris?"

"I have you now you little rodent." And Boris exploded toward the mouse boy with amazing speed and agility. The mouse boy turned and saw Boris coming. He screamed and ran away as fast as he could.

"NNNNOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed, "NO, Why does bad kitty Boris always pick on meeeeee?"

"BORIS!" yelled Red. She sprinted after the quickly receding forms of the cat and mouse.

She tried her best to keep up but it was hopeless. Red slowed to a stop and doubled over, breathing hard. She coughed once and straightened up. Looking around, she felt like someone had dropped lead into her stomach. She didn't recognize any thing. She had no idea where she was. She had no idea where Boris was. The Amusement Park was enormous. In short, she was lost. Red stood frozen to the spot. She remembered when she had gotten lost in the forest on the way to town. She remembered the feeling of being in a strange place all alone with no one to save her. She had sat under a tree and cried until a passing lumber jack had stopped to talk to her. He had picked her up and carried her to town before heading back into the forest to complete his work. This was completely different. There were no friendly lumber jacks around this time. She was in an unfamiliar world where she didn't know any one, save for the few souls she had met. Red was totally alone.

_Stop it, Red! Don't go around thinking like that. Being pessimistic won't help you at all! There has to be someone here who can help you, like an employee or a security guard. Oh there! That man in the rainbow clothes and the funny hat with his back to me. I bet he works here. I will just ask him the way to the food court. I can wait for Boris there._

Red nodded to herself. She always gave herself good advice. She took a deep breath, put a smile on her face and walked toward the man.

She gave him a light tap on the shoulder and asked: "Excuse me sir, could you please direct me to the food court?"

"Why of course I can," said the man as he turned to face her, "You just take this path by the Tea Cup Ride and turn le-" But the rest was drowned out by Red's scream of shock and fright. She stared with wide, terrified eyes at the man's face; or rather, where his face should have been. He had no eyes or nose. There was only a mouth attached to the front of the man's head.

"Miss, is something wrong?" asked the man as Red backed up. She backed straight into a couple walking with their arms around each other. The woman turned to face Red.

"Oh, be careful!" She said to Red. Red just screamed again. This woman didn't have a face either. A crowd began to gather around the commotion and Red found herself surrounded by faceless people, all whispering and pointing at her. Red couldn't take it she screamed one more time and pushed her way through the crowd. She ran as fast as she could. Tears of fear rolled from her eyes then dried on her cheeks as she ran. Red didn't care where she was going as long as it took her away. She saw a building that looked empty and rushed inside. It was dimly lit and a touch dusty in the building. Red looked around her and gasped. Mirrors. She was surrounded by mirrors. Red looked into one and let out a weak giggle. The mirror was curved outward so it made her reflection very fat. The next one was shaped like an hour glass and when she looked into it she was hour glass shaped too.

Red passed time looking at the mirrors. She felt better after letting herself laugh and was just beginning to relax when she heard footsteps coming in her direction. She felt panic rising again as the thought of more faceless people pushed its way to the front of her mind. Red began backing down the corridor, trying painfully hart to keep her foot steps from echoing. The sound of voices came from the owners of the footsteps.

"I'm getting bored." Said one.

"Me too." Said the other.

Red held her breath, afraid they would hear her.

"I wonder where Kitty is. We came all this way to play with him."

"We came all this way but he is nowhere to be found."

"I hope boss doesn't find out we ditched again."

"Yeah, I hope noob hare doesn't rat us out again."

Red took another step back and winced as she stepped on an unopened bag of potato chips. The bag popped with a sound like a gun shot. Red froze, not daring to move. The next voice confirmed her fears.

"I think there's someone else in here."

"I think so too."

"I think they want to play a game"

"I think so too."

"Come out come out where ever you are!"

"We will seek until we find!"

Red's blood turned cold. She began to move again with much less care than before. She heard them getting closer and began to run, not daring to look back. She knew they could hear her. Her wild steps echoing the way she had been trying to avoid. But that didn't matter anymore. They already knew she was there. It was all she could do to stay ahead. She allowed herself a brief glance back and what she saw made her feel sick. The reflections of her pursuers were visible in the mirrors, being terribly distorted and twisted by the contour of the glass. Red looked forward again just in time to see something that meant the end. She had hit a dead end. She turned and faced the way she had come. She was trapped in a narrow hall between two unknown menaces and the wall. She heard them again, now only around the corner. She felt her knees give way and she sunk to the floor. She hid her face in her hands and cried.

"Onee-chan, are you alright?"

"Hey, big sis', why are you crying?"

Red looked up, afraid of what she might see, and was taken aback. She was looking into the faces (Thank goodness) of two dark haired boys, around twelve years of age and obviously twins. She felt so relieved to see normal human beings that she began to laugh through her tears. The two boys both cocked an eyebrow at this behavior.

"Sis', are you okay?" Asked the one on the left with blue eyes.

"Onee, did you hit your head?" Asked the red eyed one on the right.

Red shook her head and sighed. "I'm just… so glad to see normal people."

The boys looked at each other and then smiled as they turned back to Red. They each took one of her hands and pulled her to her feet.

"Come on sis'." Said the blue one.

"Let's get you out of here." Said the red one.

"And then you can play with us!" They both said together.

Red smiled; these boys seemed very nice and very cute. She let them pull her along the corridor and listened to them chatting to each other about sweets and kitties and such. Before long they were outside. The time had changed again. It was now sunset and the view of the sinking sun behind the Ferris wheel was breath taking. Red longed to ride the wheel now, and be able to see sight from a better angle. The two boys who had found her pulled at her arms. She looked down into their smiling faces.

"It's time to start the fun!" said the red boy

"The first part of the game is riding the Ferris wheel with us!" The blue boy added.

"You will do it, won't you?" The boys gave her big puppy dog eyes. She felt utterly overwhelmed by the cuteness. She nodded and the boys cheered. Once again they dragged her toward their destination. Red was blissfully relaxed until she felt a chill on her neck, the kind you get when someone's watching you. She stopped and glanced around uneasily.

"Oh good," came a voice from nowhere, "You guys found Red." The owner of the voice then revealed himself to be none other than Boris. "Hey, Dee, Dum, what are you guys doing? Where you dragging her off to?" Boris asked the twins.

"Hey, kitty cat. We were just playing a game with Nee-chan. No harm in playing." Said the red boy.

"Yeah? Well your games would cause her harm, Dum. This is Red, she's a foreigner." Boris pulled Red to his side so she could face the twins.

"What? Onee is an outsider?" The red one, whom Boris called Dum, asked.

"Ahh, Sis', you should have told us! We could have had way more fun with you!" Said the blue one, who must have been Dee.

"Umm… Sorry…" said Red, although she didn't know why she was apologizing.

Boris moved to stand behind the two boys. "Red, this is Tweddle Dee and Tweddle Dum; the bloody twins. These guys are my best friends. They are the gate guards of the Hatter Mansion."

Red was shocked such cute boys had such a violent title. Dee and Dum smiled at her.

"Can you promise not to tell on us for skipping out on work?" asked Dee.

"And will you come and visit us at the mansion sometime?" asked Dum.

Red smiled back. "Sure."

"YAY!" cheered the twins. They high-fived each other and then, to her surprise, ran up and hugged Red. They let go and ran away without a backward glance. Red watched them go, not exactly sure what to think of them. Red felt tired. This day had drained her of energy. She rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn that was not wasted on Boris. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a warm smile.

"So where are you staying? Need a place to sleep?"

Red shook her head. "No. Julius Monery is letting me stay in the Clock Tower."

Boris's eyes widened slightly. "Really now? How odd. He is not a very sociable guy. Perhaps he has a thing for outsiders." Boris shot her a sideways glance to see her reaction to his last comment but Red was too tired to notice.

"Let me walk you to the edge of the territory then." He said and Red agreed.

They walked in silence for the duration of the trip. When Boris was turning to go at the end of the amusement park's land, Red remembered something.

"Hey, when you sniffed me and found out I was a foreigner you said you knew because I smelled just like '_her_'. Who is this 'her?"

For a moment, the smile on Boris's face just seemed to fall off. There was a flash of regret and sadness in his eyes. Then it was gone as quickly as it had come. The smile grew back onto his face and he turned and started walking back, shouting over his shoulder, "That is something that Li'll Red don't need to know." And then he was gone, leaving Red with even more questions.


End file.
